F-35 fighter jet crashes during training exercise at Alaska airbase

A US Air Force F-35 fighter jet crashed at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska on January 28 afternoon due to an in-flight malfunction.

The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. while the jet was attempting to land, Caliber.Az reports referring to US media.

According to base officials, the pilot declared an emergency and ejected before the crash.

The pilot was reported to be in stable condition and undergoing a medical evaluation. Colonel Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, confirmed that the pilot was safe but refrained from commenting on specific injuries. Local reports indicated a column of black smoke rising from the crash site, prompting responses from both ambulance and fire crews.

The pilot was subsequently transported to Bassett Army Hospital for further medical assessment. “We are thankful that the pilot and those responding to the incident are safe,” Townsend remarked. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the malfunction.

The pilot had been involved in a training exercise within local airspace when the crash occurred. Eielson Air Force Base is home to 54 F-35s, including the last two that arrived in 2022. The F-35 is a long-range, supersonic fighter jet with stealth capabilities, able to cover the entire Northern Hemisphere in a single mission. Additionally, two squadrons of F-22 Raptors are stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage.

The F-35A, a fifth-generation fighter, has replaced the older F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs in the US Air Force’s fleet. The price of one F-35 has been set at approximately $81 million in a preliminary agreement between the US Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin.

By Tamilla Hasanova